Network Rail and Scottish Powerlines (SPL) continue to advance the £120 million government-funded traction power enhancement program targeting key feeder station upgrades in Scotland. The program was first announced in 2022. It includes six new 25kV feeder stations and upgrades at nine existing traction power locations across Scotland’s Central Belt, Borders and Fife. These will provide the electrical capacity required for ongoing railway electrification projects and the rollout of zero-emission trains.

The first feeder station at Ferguslie, Paisley, entered service following its installation in 2022. Subsequent feeder stations and associated power-supply upgrades have been delivered in support of the Barrhead, East Kilbride, Fife and Borders electrification programs.

As of 2026, the wider program remains a key enabling component of Scotland’s railway decarbonization strategy, with feeder stations supplying additional resilience, reliability and capacity to accommodate expanding electric passenger and freight operations. Network Rail has also indicated that the feeder station program forms part of the continuing Control Period 7 (2024–2029) rail enhancement portfolio. The company also notes that the project remains critical to achieving Scotland’s target of decarbonizing its railway network by 2035. This is as other electricity transmission upgrade programs take shape in Scotland, including the Netherton Hub project in Aberdeenshire aimed at modernizing the grid.

Construction work to start on feeder station upgrades in Scotland

Reported November 12, 2022 – Engineers from Network Rail and SPL in the United Kingdom have announced key feeder station upgrades as part of a £120 million investment form Scotland. This will include the installation of a new modular feeder station. The project will also include the renovation of a critical track section cabinet near Glasgow Central Station.

The project for the key feeder station upgrades is part of the power supply overhaul and reconfiguration work. Thus, it will help accommodate the increased demand caused by the introduction of electric trains. This is mostly on the lines between Glasgow and Barrhead and East Kilbride. According to Network Rail, the deployment of the substation will be completed without disrupting passenger or freight services.

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Road to NetZero in the region

The £120 million traction power investment is currently underway to support upgrade work. Deployment at the Ferguslie feeder station in Paisley is scheduled for July of this year. Six new feeder stations and nine upgrades to traction power infrastructure locations on the railway across the central belt, Scottish Borders, and Fife will be installed. This will be as part of phase one investment. The collaboration will upgrade the power supply network until 2026.

The new feeder station connections to the national grid will increase the overall capability of the 25kV electrified network. “The £120 million Scottish Government investment to improve the electric power supply into the rail network is essential in helping us achieve our target to decarbonize Scotland’s Railway by 2035,” Network Rail traction power scheme project manager Alice Wilson said.

“In the coming years, this work will power cleaner, greener electric trains on the Glasgow-Barrhead and East Kilbride lines. This directly contributes to decarbonizing passenger services on Scotland’s Railway by 2035. It is also delivering the modal shift required for Scotland to achieve Net Zero.”